Concession For Floating Windmill

Hydro's Hywind project has been awarded a concession from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate for placing a floating windmill in the area of sea offshore Karmøy. Hywind is a research project where Hydro wants to use floating constructions, as used in the oil industry, as the base for offshore windmills. Hywind now can realise this research project. The area of sea off Karmøy is one of the locations the company had considered for placing a demonstration windmill. In the autumn of 2005, Hydro tested how the floating windmill will behave in different wind and wave conditions. The testing took place in Sintef Marintek's sea laboratory. The results indicated that the concept can withstand extreme weather conditions, and Hydro therefore decided to proceed with the research project.